Each week following every Bucs game, we’ll take a closer look at the snap count distribution for Tampa Bay on offense and defense. We’ll assess what we can learn from who played the most and least in the game.
Let’s get a closer look at the Bucs players who received the highest and lowest number of snaps in their 31-26 loss to the Falcons on Monday Night Football in which injuries to star wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin may impact the rest of their season.
It is downright shocking how little Sean Tucker played in yesterday’s game at seven snaps and 10%. Two weeks ago Tucker was the NFC Player Of The Week, and all of a sudden he can’t hit the field? It’s even more surprising considering that Bucky Irving was coming into the game with a toe injury and yet Tampa Bay didn’t limit him at all. A three-headed running back monster? Not at all. Because the Bucs chose to do it that way. Rachaad White and Bucky Irving split the snaps 41-31 or 56% to 42% so the two of them were leveraged out fairly.
We were all curious to see how the wide receivers would shake out with no Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. I thought Sterling Shepard was going to be WR1, but based on the percentages, he was actually used less than Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer. McMillan played the most at 81% and Palmer wasn’t that far behind at 70% with Shepard at 62%, None of these receivers made a gigantic impact. It was actually Rakim Jarrett who flexed the most considering he was in for 27% of the game. He led all Bucs’ wide receivers with three catches for 58 receiving yards.
Jarrett would have led the whole Bucs team in receiving had it not been for tight end Cade Otton. If you didn’t know, it was National Tight Ends Day yesterday and Otton balled out. He made a career-high nine catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns as the leading force in the passing game for Tampa Bay. Surprisingly, he played less than he typically does at a 93% rate. It’s crazy to say he plays more than that number, but that just shows how important he is to the team, especially with others out for the time being.
Cornerback Tyrek Funderburk started the game on the opposite side of Zyon McCollum. But after he got burnt like toast a couple of times in coverage, head coach Todd Bowles made the switch and put in Josh Hayes, who did a much better job. Funderburk was in for 42% while Hayes was in for 52%.
Throughout the weeks we’ve all been clamoring to see inside linebacker J.J. Russell to see the field in really any capacity. Well, we saw J.J. Russell but it was at the expense of losing Lavonte David for a little bit. David is typically one of the players who play 100% of the snaps, but he faired out to 87% because of it.
Considering how it all went, Russell played just 11% but it should have been more to replace the other linebacker, K.J. Britt. At 97%, Britt was hardly off of the field and only trailed McCollum and Antoine Winfield Jr. in playing time as they were on for the whole game and 100%. Is Britt responsible for the Bucs allowing 31 points? Well, he’s a huge part of it.
I’m not sure what’s going on at outside linebacker for the Bucs at the moment. For the second week in a row, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka out-snapped second-year edge rusher Yaya Diaby 63% to 61% and it was just by one snap. It shouldn’t even have to come down to one extra play, in no world should JTS be playing more or even close to the same amount of time that Diaby is in.
There’s a good chance this is Tryon-Shoyinka’s last season in Tampa Bay. The Bucs are attempting to get Yaya Diaby on track but at this point, he’s showing that he’s better as the second edge rusher rather than the top guy. The Bucs don’t have a lot of answers on defense and apparently outside linebacker is another discussion.
All of the other rotations looked similar to what Tampa Bay typically does. Defensive lineman Earnest Brown IV played less than Will Gholston after playing more than him the week before, so that was a slight adjustment. After that, though, it was a similar grouping and another game where the defense was a big issue.
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Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon just made headlines during a recent appearance on "Up Adams," where he gave his take on one of the NFL’s most debated questions. When asked which star quarterback will win a Super Bowl first, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, Moon without any hesitation went with Jackson. “We have Josh Allen, MVP, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, they wrecked the league last year… Which one of those three do you think has the best shot to get one this year?” Kay Adams asked. Moon responded, “I think Lamar.” Moon’s reasoning for this take was not due to stats or accolades, because both have great numbers and awards, rather Moon was focused on the surrounding cast around Jackson. While he was complimentary of Allen and the team around him, he emphasized that the Ravens had a strong secondary, incredible running back and solid wideouts that could allow them to be a serious threat to win it all. It is easy to see why Moon made his opinion clear and without hesitation. Jackson is one of the top quarterbacks in the league, with four Pro Bowl nods, three All-Pro selections and two MVP awards. He is the best dual-threat quarterback in the world, and now with an incredible roster around him, Jackson has become much scarier. However, pressure is mounting on the superstar QB, and Moon did make the case for Allen to also potentially win first. “Josh Allen, they’ll be right there too. I think it depends on who plays who in the playoffs … You have to go through playing both Kansas City and Baltimore if you’re Buffalo, and same thing if you’re the Ravens, you gotta play both of those to get to the Super Bowl … But if you only have to play one of them, that would be great.” Allen is also regarded as one of the league’s best QBs too, and Moon's argument has a lot of merit to it. Both Buffalo and Baltimore are flooded with talented pieces that are hungry to make that Super Bowl run. It could come down to matchups come playoff time. If one squad has an easier route to the AFC Championship game, then it might be the one who ultimately comes out on top. As for Burrow, Moon did not mention him in the conversation, but clearly it was not meant to be a slight on him as a player. Rather, for obvious reasons, it seems that Moon might have Baltimore and Buffalo as overall rosters in a higher tier from Cincinnati. Ultimately however, time will tell who breaks first. But if Moon is correct, Jackson might finally be able to silence his critics, and make his mark on NFL history.
Caitlin Clark might be the most popular figure in women's basketball right now, but she continues to draw shots left and right, both on and off the court. The Iowa product has stayed even keeled and mostly unrattled, but that doesn't mean she won't fight back. That's why, in the light of Kelsey Plum's recent comments, she decided to take matters into her own hands and clapped back at her with a simple, six-word message. Plum shared a picture of her during the WNBA's All-Star Weekend, which showed half of a Nike logo in the background. Clark was quick to spot it and just wrote "Thank u for the Nike ad." This happened just hours after Plum seemingly took a shot at Clark and her Team Clark teammates for reportedly not getting involved in their pre-game protest. “The T-shirt was determined this morning. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that,” Plum revealed. “That really needed to be mentioned,” Sabrina Ionescu added while both laughed. WNBA All-Stars warmed up with a T-Shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us,' ahead of their new CBA agreement, which is expected to be signed in the offseason. WNBA players get around 9 percent of the league's revenue, and they're asking for a bigger share since most of them also have to play overseas during the offseason because of the salary disparity. Plum is the vice president of the WNBPA, so it's not surprising to see her so involved in the protest and the demands. Then again, it's hard to understand the reasoning behind the tattle telling, as not only does it show that there might not be a united front ahead of these negotiations, but it also drives attention away from where it should be.
The Chicago Blackhawks, a crowded goaltending situation and trade rumors involving the Edmonton Oilers have fans wondering if the Stars' rivals could soon upgrade their crease before training camp. With training camp approaching, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has five goalies under contract, including Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom, Drew Commesso, newly signed Stanislav Berezhnoy, and veteran Laurent Brossoit. Only two NHL roster spots are available, which has fueled speculation that Brossoit could be moved to a contender, with Edmonton emerging as a leading candidate. For Stars fans, seeing the Oilers potentially bolster their crease should raise eyebrows. Edmonton, fresh off a deep playoff run, is looking to avoid the same issues that hurt them late in the postseason. "The Blackhawks have too many goalies and not enough spots, and Brossoit's contract and experience make him a natural trade chip for a team like the Oilers."-Julien Trekker Chicago's goalie logjam and Berezhnoy's recent signing are detailed further at NHL.com. Dallas could see its rival upgrade as Blackhawks explore trading Laurent Brossoit Brossoit, 32, carries a $3.3 million cap hit for one more season. Drafted by Calgary in 2011, he's appeared in 140 NHL games, including time with Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas, where he helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023. While Chicago decides, Drew Commesso continues to push for NHL time after posting a .911 save percentage over 39 AHL games. For a deeper look at Commesso's performance, his full profile is on Elite Prospects. I think if Edmonton lands Brossoit or even Commesso, Dallas may have to plan around a deeper Oilers team come playoff time, especially given how tight the Western race looks on paper.
The number of available MLB stars on the trade market appears to be dwindling. Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy will not be available for trade ahead of the July 31 deadline, Buster Olney of ESPN reported on Tuesday. Additionally, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan is unlikely to be moved as well, Olney added. The 30-year-old Murphy, an All-Star in 2023, is batting .240 with 16 home runs and 38 RBI this season for the Braves. Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Kwan is batting .288 with six home runs, 32 RBI and 11 stolen bases for the Guardians — numbers that were good enough for Kwan to make his second career All-Star appearance this year. A common thread for both players is that their respective teams have underperformed in 2025. The Braves are a miserable 44-55, and the Guardians are only slightly better at 49-50. Those underachieving records have given rise to trade speculation surrounding both teams. However, both Murphy and Kwan are under contract for multiple more years at very reasonable salaries. Murphy is set to make $15 million in each of the next three seasons (with the Braves holding a $15 million team option on him in 2029 as well). As for Kwan, he still has two more years left of arbitration eligibility before potentially becoming a free agent after the 2027 season. There could still be a lot of movement ahead of this year’s trade deadline, particularly with some marquee teams looking to buy. But those teams will probably be out of luck if they are eyeing a potential move for Murphy or Kwan before July 31.